Earlier demonstrations of quantum superposition showed an electron or an atom in more than one location at a time.
The key to this new kind of computation is a phenomenon called quantum superposition.
A mixed state is different from a quantum superposition.
They remain in a quantum superposition and share a single quantum state until a measurement is made.
A quantum walk can be described by a quantum superposition over states.
A qubit can hold a "0", a "1", or a quantum superposition of these.
For example, an electron in the state is in a quantum superposition of the states and .
In physical terms, this is described by saying that has been expressed as a quantum superposition of the states .
This prevents different elements in the quantum superposition of the system+environment's wavefunction from interfering with each other.
Until then, all the possible states of the particle coexisted, like overlapping waves, in a condition known as quantum superposition.